Enhancing chlorpyrifos degradation and plant growth through biochar-assisted microbial remediation.
Kiran M, Sindhu R, Supreeth M
Phytoremediation
Soil in fields and backyard gardens where organophosphate pesticides were applied years ago can still harbor residues that stunt roots and disrupt the microbial communities your compost and cover crops depend on — this approach shows living plants, beneficial microbes, and a charcoal soil amendment can clean that legacy contamination without excavation or chemicals.
Scientists found a naturally occurring soil microbe that can eat chlorpyrifos, a common insecticide that lingers in soil long after spraying. When they paired this microbe with castor bean plants and a charcoal-like soil additive called biochar, nearly all the pesticide was gone in three weeks. As a bonus, the microbe also helped the plants grow better even while the pesticide was present.
Key Findings
Klebsiella pneumoniae strain C78 degraded over 80% of chlorpyrifos (200 mg/L) within 72 hours in laboratory conditions.
The combined treatment of bacterial inoculation plus biochar achieved near-complete removal of chlorpyrifos from contaminated soil within 21 days, with no accumulation of toxic breakdown products.
Plants grown with the bacterium and biochar showed improved seed germination, biomass, chlorophyll content, and protein levels even in soils spiked with up to 200 mg/kg of pesticide.
chevron_right Technical Summary
Researchers combined a soil bacterium, biochar, and castor bean plants to break down chlorpyrifos—a widely used but hazardous pesticide—removing nearly all of it from contaminated soil within 21 days, without producing toxic byproducts.
Abstract Preview
The extensive use of chlorpyrifos (CPF) in agriculture has led to persistent soil contamination, posing serious risks to environmental and human health. Developing sustainable, in situ remediation ...
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Ricinus communis, the castor bean or castor oil plant, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It is the sole species in the monotypic genus, Ricinus, and subtribe, Ricininae.